Falling Slowly
by tickledpink92
Summary: A college student moves into the room next to the dorm 14-year-old Aria lives in with her father, the Dean of Massey College. Slowly but surely, the two develop a close friendship. Soon after, Aria moves to Iceland with her father and Ezra lands a teaching job at a high school. When she returns as a mature 16 year old, Aria discovers that her new teacher is more than just that.
1. September 2010

Aria Montgomery groaned in frustration, fed up with the constant screams of ecstasy emanating from the dorm next door. The thunder outside couldn't even drown out the noise. Her father chuckled from his reclining chair, where he remained reading the paper, completely unbothered.

"Really, dad? How can you stand this?"

She shook her head at him, her pink highlights flying about. She got up from her chair, deciding that if he wasn't going to do something about it, she would.

"Aria honey, what are you doing?" He called as she marched her fourteen year old self to the door. "Come on, it'll end soon enough. They're college kids, let them be." He tried reasoning.

She spun around. "College kids? Dad, please. They're meant to be the brightest, most studious group of fourth year students, not...that." She gestured to the thin walls.

"Besides, your job is to make sure that kind of thing doesn't go on. I understand that you want to be the cool, laidback Dean who everyone loves, but seriously? At THIS cost?"

Byron Montgomery laughed. At fourteen, his daughter was quite the little adult.

"Alright, alright. You've convinced me."

She waited for him to get up and deal with the crazy sex fiends, but he went right back to his newspaper.

"Dad?" She waited, tapping her foot.

"Oh, I thought you were dealing with it?" He asked.

She sighed, making her way next door as he continued to laugh. She waited momentarily in front of the door, hoping that she could somehow will them to stop instead. When that didn't work, she resorted to knocking. There were muffled voices as she waited for someone to open it.

"Ezra," A female voice giggled inside. "Come back, screw whoever it is."

She couldn't make out the guy's response, but soon he opened the door and she faced a very handsome, very shirtless man. Sure, living in Massey Hall with her dad, she'd seen her share of shirtless college boys but none like this one. There was something about him that made her heart beat just a little faster.

"Hi." He said to her, a little red in the face.

"Hello," Aria responded, trying hard not to stare at his chest. "Sorry to introduce myself like this, but I'm Aria, your neighbour."

She gave him a little smile. "I was just wondering if you guys could tone it down a little, I'm kind of writing a paper."

Ezra opened his mouth to speak, before a voice interrupted. "Is that a girl, Ezra?" The girl came to the door and stood behind him, clad in an oversized white shirt.

"Oh." She said, surveying the little girl with the pink hair in front of her. "You're the neighbour? You're like...twelve."

Aria tried not to roll her eyes, managing to keep the annoyance out of her voice when she replied.

"Yes, like twelve. And this twelve year old girl needs to get her paper done, so if you could enjoy yourself just a little bit less, I would be greatly appreciative."

Ezra hid a smile. The proverbial girl next door certainly had spunk.

"We're really sorry, Aria." He told her, "If anything, I could help you with the essay. I work as a TA when I'm not in class."

Her heart fluttered slightly when he said her name. She didn't understand why, but this guy seemed to have an effect on her.

"That's okay, I can manage. Thanks though," she gave him a smile. "I should get back, I'll see you later."

He gave a brief wave, smiling at her as he shut the door.

The next afternoon, Aria came home from school to find that her dad had forgotten to leave the key in the mailbox. Sighing, she sat in the hallway, settling in with a book.

"Hey there, neighbour." A deep voice called. Ezra walked by her to his door, keys jingling. "You okay, there?"

Aria felt her heart quicken. What was it with this guy?

"Yeah, just waiting for my dad. He forgot to leave the keys again."

He gave her an understanding look. "You know, you're more to welcome to crash at my place for awhile."

She quickly shook her head. As much as she wanted to say yes, she didn't. He probably felt obliged to ask her, considering her dad was the Dean. It would probably be like babysitting to him.

Ezra nodded, accepting her answer. "So, what are you reading?"

She held up the book. "Ulysses," he read. "Hate that book. I started it, maybe five years ago and _still _haven't finished it."

Aria laughed good naturedly. "It's not _that _bad. You probably don't have time to read because you're too busy with that girlfriend of yours." Her cheeks turned red, realizing what she'd just said.

"Sorry, that was completely out of-"

"No," He waved a hand, "it's fine. We don't really get busy like that _all_ the time...just so you're aware."

Aria could barely look at him. "No, of course not," she managed.

"I'm sorry," Ezra groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I've embarrassed you."

She realized that he probably saw her as a little girl who didn't know what sex was. It was a little annoying.

"I'm fine." She told him firmly, finally daring to make eye contact.

He nodded, changing the subject. "Speaking of me and reading though, I don't think you realize just how much of a nerd I am. My bookshelf is to die for, let me tell you."

She grinned. "Is it now?"

"Hell yes. You have to come and see it sometime. I don't let anyone near it unless they've got what I like to call "book lust". You seem qualified," he said with a wink.

Aria blushed slightly. "Yeah," she replied lamely.

"Aria!" Someone called from down the hall.

Aria looked passed Ezra to see Alanna, a girl who lived on the floor. Though she was friendly with just about all of the college kids in the small building, Alanna was like an older sister to her.

"Hey, Alanna." She smiled, as Ezra turned around and gave a friendly wave. Alanna walked towards them.

"You're home early." Aria remarked drily. Most nights, Alanna was out partying. It was a wonder they were friends, Alanna and Aria were nothing like.

"Yeah, Paula ditched me at the mall for a guy she met in the food court. Can you believe it?" She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, who's this hunk?" She held out her hand to Ezra who seemed a bit taken aback by her presence.

Aria gave her a pointed look. "That would be Ezra, my new neighbour. Ezra, meet Alanna, she's on this floor too."

"Pleasure to meet you," he smiled, shaking her hand softly.

A look passed between them that Aria couldn't quite decipher. All she knew was that it made her feel a little lonely.

"I should...probably get going." Ezra excused himself, heading into his dorm.

"That is one sexy neighbour." Alanna stated as soon as the door shut. Aria thought she heard a muffled laugh on the other side.

"I think he heard that." Aria laughed.

"Good. Come on," Alanna looped her arm around Aria's.

"Where are we going?"

"To my place, where else? We can Breakfast Club for the umpteenth time. Or are you in a Clooney kinda mood?"

Aria pretended to groan, "Now? I was just getting to the good part of this book."

Alanna glanced at the title. "Seriously? Here's a spoiler, there is no good part. Now, come on, we're having a girls day before your dad gets back. And maybe you can spill some deets on that hot neighbour of yours."

That was the last thing Aria wanted to do, but she let herself get dragged into Alanna's dorm, set for an evening of their favourite movies and dreaded boy talk.

A week later, Aria came home at the same time as Ezra. She hadn't really seen him all week, both of them busy with school. She imagined his girlfriend was over a lot as well, though the lack of "Oh, Ezra!" throughout the week said otherwise.

"Hey stranger," he said, stopping to talk.

"Yeah, long time, eh?" She smiled.

"You know, you still haven't taken me up on that offer. The Bookshelf? Ring any bells?"

Aria laughed. "Ah yes, The Bookshelf. Not too sure if I believe in it, to be honest." She teased.

Ezra faked a gasp. "Well, that's it. You're seeing it now."

He unlocked his door and ushered her in before she could say anything else. Aria barely had time to register the fact that she was in alone in a dorm with a college boy.

"Alright, let's see this fantastical bookshelf then."

"You'll be eating your sarcasm, Montgomery." Ezra promised, shutting the door.

Before Aria could turn around, he put his hands over her eyes. She nearly gasped in surprise.

"Not quite yet." With his hands still on her eyes, he guided her to a corner of the room.

"What, are you trying to hide the evidence of your maledom? Let me guess, dirty clothes everywhere, a plate or two on the coffee table, maybe a girl on the sofa," she joked.

Ezra laughed. "Something like that. Alright...we're almost there. Just a few more steps...ah. Do you smell that?"

Aria raised an eyebrow underneath his warm palm, which cupped her eye. The mere closeness of his body was a little much for her, but she managed to stay calm.

"Do I smell that? Are you craz-" And then she realized that she did smell "that." That amazing scent that books give out when they're piled together, old and new. The smell of old coffee meets ink, meets wearied paper.

She breathed it in deeply. "Wow," she whispered.

"Yeah," Ezra agreed, happy that she understood.

"Can I see now, Ezra?"

He nodded, and then realized she couldn't see his response. Gingerly, he removed his hands and turned to look at her reaction. She was in awe.

Rows and rows of books lined the shelves. There were classics, poetry collections, modernist literature...everything, it seemed. Aria scoured the names, and nearly fainted from happiness when she saw that all of her favourite authors were there. There were maybe hundreds of books, all beautifully organized along a bookshelf that took up an entire wall. It was magnificent.

"Ezra," she breathed, "I don't know what to say."

He smiled from ear to ear. Though most of friends were in the English major program, he had not seen anyone else respond to the bookshelf like Aria did. Someone finally understood.

"Moving it all in here was torture, but so worth it." He told her.

She nodded, lost in the books. Her fingers traced them, as she went through each one individually. Ezra could see she would be there awhile, and decided to give her some space.

"You're welcome to go through each one, I'll just be in the kitchen preparing dinner." He informed her.

Aria nodded absentmindedly, settling down on a plush chair with a book she'd just taken out. Ezra watched her from the kitchen as he cooked pasta. He noticed that she kept her head bent, biting bit her lip every so often. After a couple hours, he realized that her dad would probably be wondering where she was.

"Aria," he called.

No answer. Laughing, Ezra walked over to her, contemplating yelling in her ear. Thinking against it, he pushed a lock of her hair out of her face. She looked up immediately.

"Hey," he smiled.

She smiled back, slightly blushing. "Sorry, I got carried away, didn't I? Damn that Ezra."

He gave her a questioning look. "Pound, not...whatever your last name is."

"Fitz. Sorry to break your little bonding session with Ezra-Pound, not Fitz-" He winked. "But I thought maybe your dad would start to get worried? Should you call him?"

"Oh, crap." Aria rose, the book falling out of her lap. "He's at a meeting still, but you're right. He'll want to know if I had dinner. I'd better get home and warm something up."

"Or…" Ezra stopped her, "You could have dinner here? I don't mind the company."

He smiled that gorgeous smile of his and Aria nearly melted. What was it with ridiculously attractive guys?

"I could." She hesitated, "But I wouldn't want to intrude-"

Ezra raised a hand to silence her. "I'm inviting you to dinner, Aria. No intrusion here."

Her heart sped up at his words. She told herself it was silly to think of them in any way but an innocent neighbourly gesture.

"Okay." She finally agreed.

An hour later, they sat comfortably at the table, laughing at a story Ezra told about his aunt's cat. Aria felt at ease, like they were old friends. She began to tell him a story about her own cat, when a knock at the door broke their conversation.

Ezra went up to open it, letting in the girl Aria recognized as his screaming lover. Her mood dampened almost immediately.

"I just had the worst day, Z." She said as he took her coat off.

"Oh, hello." She said to Aria, giving Ezra a quizzical glance.

Aria felt her cheeks redden, as if she was intruding on a date.

"I think I should actually get home now, Ezra." She said, standing up.

"No, we were having a great time. You should stay, Marilyn and I would love to have you stay, isn't that right?" He gave his girlfriend a warning look.

Aria felt even more stupid now, and had to stop herself from running to the door to get out. He only saw her as a little girl who needed to be pitied and given dinner when daddy was at a meeting. That hurt.

"No, I have a lot of homework to get done. You guys enjoy yourselves." She grabbed her coat, and left before Ezra could respond.

He turned to his girlfriend, closing his eyes momentarily. "Seriously, Marilyn? You had to do that?"

He left her standing with her arms raised in defiance, taking Aria's unfinished plate to the sink.

"Do what? All I did was give you a look." She shrugged her shoulders, and sat at the table.

"Let's just eat," he told her, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. She was always like this, and it was starting to really get on his nerves.


	2. January 2011

**Hi beauties! Thank you so much for the reviews on the first chapter. I hope you enjoy this one, I'll continue if there's enough interest. Love you all, your reviews make me smile so much. #TeamEzria**

"Hey, Aria! Sorry I haven't been around, the boyfriend has me busy! I'll be around tonight, give me a call, girlie!"

Aria sighed, deleting the message from her voicemail. Trust Alanna to make herself available on the one night Aria couldn't hang out: today was her first poetry reading, and if things went well, hopefully not her last. She'd spent the majority of the winter break alone, holed up in the dorm while her father attended faculty meetings. It seemed as if she was the only one stuck in Massey Hall, with the exception of Alanna and a few others, everyone had gone home for the holidays.

Even Ezra.

Speaking of Ezra, he was supposed to return tomorrow, and Aria both looked forward to and dreaded his arrival. Ever since they'd met on that fateful September day when she caught him in the middle of "the act", they had become good friends. She'd often spend time in his apartment, devouring his books while he made dinner, after which they would discuss the books over one of the two meals he could actually cook for them. That was, if his girlfriend wasn't there. Marilyn wasn't exactly fond of Aria, annoyed that someone else, even a little girl, took up so much of her boyfriend's time. Secretly, Aria always hoped that he would come to his senses and break up with her, but that dream soon crashed when he took Marilyn home for Christmas. It was then that Aria realized how serious their relationship was. She couldn't fathom it, and a selfish part of her resented the realization. She told herself it was only because Ezra deserved so much more.

Forcing herself out of bed, Aria made herself a coffee and sat on the balcony, watching the snow fall. Her teeth chattered as she wrapped her bathrobe tighter, but still she remained sitting outside in the freezing cold. A few days into the break, she had found herself out on the balcony, writing depressing poetry in her head. It dawned on her then that being out in the cold all by herself, with nothing but a bathrobe to provide the warmth she lacked in her life, was somehow comforting. Her loneliness was most naked then, and it inspired her to write.

Soon afterwards, she saw a contest on the University website for a chance to recite poetry at the most popular cafe on campus. There was a slight issue, in that you had be a member of the University in order to enter. Without informing him, Aria used her father's membership card and a fake name to submit her work. Lo and behold, two weeks later, she received an email declaring her win. Now, the tricky part was keeping it a secret from her father. If news got out of what she'd done, he might face repercussions as the Dean for allowing her to do so. Aria knew how proud her father would have been if he was in the know, but she couldn't risk him getting in trouble.

Alanna was the only one she decided to confide in, and wrongfully so she found. The only reason she told her friend was so that perhaps she could help make her over to look a college student, but it was clear after her recent hook up with a frat boy that she would have no time for her fifteen year old friend. Probably just like Ezra when he came back closer than ever with his girlfriend. That was happened when your friends were older, and she couldn't blame them for it.

"Knock, knock! Open up, princess! Your fairy godmother has come to save you!"

Aria broke from her thoughts at the sound of Alanna's voice. She walked inside to open the door for her.

"Alanna? What are you doing here?" She asked, confused. "I thought you had plans."

"Yeah, plans with you, my sweet girl!"

Aria gave her a look.

"Alright, fine." Alanna responded guiltily, "So I realized that today was your poetry reading after I left you that message, and felt like the biggest jerk ever. I'm so sorry, Aria."

Aria waved a hand, "It's really no big deal, Alanna. I didn't expect you to drop your plans to put makeup on me," she scoffed.

Alanna stopped taking out her makeup supplies to look at her friend.

"Sweetie, you need to stop doing that, okay?" She said seriously, "Stop being so self-effacing, you don't deserve crap from anybody."

"I won't." Aria reassured her, giving her an appreciative smile.

"So, let's get this makeover started, shall we? How do you feel about fake eyelashes?"

Aria gave her an incredulous look. "Absolutely not."

Alanna laughed, ushering Aria to the bathroom to get started on her hair.

Six hours later, she was done. Aria looked nothing like her fifteen year old self, with the exception of the pink highlights; Alanna thought they added character. She also wanted to add a fake eyebrow piercing to make her look edgier, but Aria quickly shot that idea down. With her face made up with neutral colours, and her hair bouncing with curls, she looked like a sophisticated college student. It was perfect, and Aria could not thank her friend enough.

"Where's Jay? It's been eight hours, isn't he dying without you?" Aria joked, as the two made their way to the cafe in winter coats and fur hats Alanna had picked up at a second hand store. She'd decided that she needed to dress up classy for Aria's poetry reading too, and a fur hat went a long way to establish the European socialite look she was going for.

"Very funny," Alanna replied, rolled her eyes. She linked her arm around Aria's, "Jay will be at the reading, I just told him to meet me there. Tonight, I'm going with my favourite poet and leaving with her too." She gave Aria a wink.

Aria smiled, and for the first time that day, she was not nervous. She had someone there who believed in her, and cared.

"Alright, folks! Let's give it up for our poetry contest winner, Ellisa Bell!"

Ezra Fitz clapped with everyone else in the cafe, shooting his girlfriend a quizzical look, "Elissa Bell?"

"What about it?" She asked.

"Emily Bronte's pseudonym." Ezra explained, chuckling to himself. "That sounds like something Aria would-"

He blanched, stopping mid-sentence as he watched "Elissa Bell" make her way to the stage. There, a girl who looked strikingly like Aria, she sat on the stool, adjusting her mike and smiling at the crowd.

"Holy crap," He whispered.

"That looks like your neighbour," Marilyn remarked drily.

"Hi guys, my name's Elissa, and I'll be reciting some original poetry tonight." The audience clapped, and Ezra heard a surprisingly familiar female voice scream her name encouragingly. She smiled at someone in the audience, and began.

"Everything she'd known, disappeared, drifting into the summer sky." Aria glanced at the audience. It was dead quiet, and not one person took their eyes off her.

"Thank you." She finished, smiling into the mic.

She glanced around as the thunderous clapping began, her smile growing wider by the second. Finally, her eyes landed on a gentleman sitting near the back of the cafe, his wide eyes accompanied by a mouth hanging open. She blinked, thinking it was a dream. But no, there was Ezra sitting in the audience. He had watched her perform, Ezra had watched her perform. After getting off stage, she gave Alanna a quick hug and ran to Ezra, jumping in his arms.

"Ezra! I can't believe you're here!" She cried, completely forgetting any shyness she'd anticipated when he returned.

Ezra laughed, wrapping his arms around her petite frame. "I can't believe that was you! That was amazing, Aria." He took a step back to look her in the eyes, "I am thoroughly impressed."

Aria's eyes lit up with happiness, and she hugged him once more.

"Hello, Aria." A cold voice called.

Aria stepped back slowly to give Marilyn a polite nod. She let go of Ezra, and gave her a quick hug. "Good to see you, Marilyn. Hope you had a great trip." She smiled forcefully.

"Yes, it was very nice." She replied, giving Ezra a fond smile. Aria grimaced internally.

"Well, I'll leave you two to settle in. I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow, Ezra." She smiled.

"You were expecting him?" Marilyn asked mockingly, trying to catch Ezra's eye.

Ezra ignored her. "Yeah, our flight got in early. I missed the coffee here like crazy so of course we had to a detour before heading back to the dorm. I certainly got a lot more than I came for." He told her with a wink.

Aria felt herself blush, and let her hair fall to cover her cheeks.

"You look great by the way, very mature." Ezra smiled.

"Thank you, Ezra." Aria responded. _Very mature._ She thought to herself a little bitterly.

Later that night, Aria lay in bed thinking about the day's events. After her talk with Ezra, she'd been approached by a dozen people congratulating her on a fine reading. One of them had been a publisher with an up-and-coming company, and after chatting for a bit, gave her his business card to set up a meeting. Apparently, her poem was exactly the kind of work he was looking for. Part of her had been skeptical about trusting a guy who claimed his company was up-and-coming, but soon Alanna joined them and reported that he was her old English professor, one of the best in the department.

Her dad got in at midnight, and Aria couldn't hold the secret in any longer. Getting out of bed, she walked into the living room and greeted him.

"Hey dad." 

"Aria," He turned around, "You scared me."

Aria noticed that there were bags under his eyes; he looked incredibly tired.

She took a deep breath. "Dad, I have some news to share with you."

Her father dropped the keys on the coffee table, sighing. "So do I, Aria. I wasn't going to tell you until tomorrow, but I might as well drop the news now."

Aria's heart raced. It didn't sound as if it was good news. Her mind came up with a million ill-fated possibilities. She hesitated, almost afraid to ask. "What is it, dad?"

"We...we're moving to Iceland, Aria. At the end of the month."

Aria stared at him, sitting down in a daze. "What do you mean?" She asked carefully.

"The department needs me to supervise a project in Reykjavik. I…I can't say no, Aria. If I don't take this position, there's a chance I could be demoted." He shrugged his shoulders defeatedly.

She forced herself to breathe. "For how long?" She asked, staring at her hands.

"It's hard to say-indefinitely. Maybe a year, maybe longer." He took a seat beside her, taking her hands. "I'm so sorry, Aria. I know how much you love it here, but I promise you, you'll have fun there too."

_A year. _Just when her life was starting to look up, she had to leave. As her dad told her about the travelling plans, Aria's mind wandered to everything she would leave behind. Her poetry, her friends...Ezra. _Ezra._ Her heart sank. A year away from Ezra meant that she would be forgotten. Despite the fact that leaving her friends and everything she knew behind would hurt, nothing would hurt than the fact that she was not important enough for anyone to remember a year later, especially not Ezra.


	3. October 2012

**I love you guys so much, I hope you realize how much your reviews mean to me3. Even just an "UPDATE" comment makes my day aha xx. Thank you for the support! I'm starting my fourth year of uni on Monday, and I needed to get this chapter out before that! Hope you all enjoy this chapter xx**

"Passengers aboard Flight #226, we will be landing in approximately fifteen minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts."

Byron squeezed his daughter's hand. "Almost home, honey."

Aria smiled nonchalantly at her father, but her stomach was in knots. Returning to Rosewood after all this time was daunting. A year ago, she would have been ecstatic to be home, back with her friends and everything she knew. But after she'd lost her luggage after arriving in Iceland last September, and consequently, her phone, her means of contacting anyone in Rosewood became limited. Sure she could have searched for her friends on a social networking site, but Aria soon decided that distance from home might be a good thing; at least that way she would miss it less. She told herself that maybe after of weeks of getting settled in, she'd find their contact info and take it from there. That never happened.

Byron enrolled her at an International English school, and she got a part-time job as a barista. When she wasn't at school, she was working. And when she wasn't working, she was writing. Cold weather seemed ever present in Iceland, and the short days flew by. Before she knew it, Aria was sixteen and had experienced her first kiss, her first relationship, and her first breakup.

Then August came around, and her father informed her that his contract would end in October, and they would going home. Hearing the news didn't excite Aria as she had expected it would. The truth was, she was afraid everything would be different when she returned. In fact, she knew it would. For one thing, she was a different person now, a more mature, cultured and sophisticated person than the girl she'd left behind in Rosewood. Aria worried that no one would recognize her, that she'd have to rebuild a life once again, just as she had in Iceland.

**That** night, Aria and her father trudged into their old dorm. It was exactly as they'd left it, with the exception of dust. Her dad went to take a shower while Aria took a tour of the apartment to regain a sense of her bearings. She found herself back on the balcony, drinking in the night air. Sounds from the balcony next to hers caught her attention, and her eyes grew wide as she took in a midnight couple making out.

_Ezra _was the only word running through her mind as she tried to figure out who they were. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the pair were blonde. So Ezra didn't live there anymore. Even after all this time, the one thing Aria had looked most forward to was getting in touch with Ezra. Now, the chances of that seemed near impossible. She knew that Ezra had graduated in June, so it was only natural that he no longer lived on campus. Still, the thought of never seeing him again, never hearing him tease her for being so engrossed in a book, never sharing macaroni and cheese (which she hated now, but that was beside the point) over his kitchen table...that was heartbreaking. It was also very revealing, because for the first time since they'd met, Aria realized how much he meant to her. Breathing shakily, she decided to turn in for the night. She could only afford to be consumed by these thoughts for so long, tomorrow was her first day as a junior at Rosewood High.

"**ARIA**! Wake up, honey!" Byron called from the kitchen, trying to rouse himself with a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, neither of them had time to nurse the jet lag. He had to go into work, and Aria had already missed the first month of school.

Groaning from her bed, Aria forced herself out and picked out a dark printed dress with high boots and a leather jacket to wear. Gone were the days of jeans and tees; Aria now wore feminine dresses and classy ensembles. Running a brush through her long hair, she smiled, recalling her pink highlights. Time wore them away, and the lack of sun in Iceland darkened her brunette hair, bringing out her hazel eyes. Her cheeks had also lost their childish fat, and with a hint of blush, her cheekbones appeared more delicate. All in all, a few subtle changes in her appearance made all the difference, and Aria looked like the adult she'd become.

**Ezra Fitz **walked into his first period class, exhausted from the night before. It was only October and he was already up in his eyes with papers to mark and lessons to plan. His colleagues told him the first year was always the hardest, and that everything would gradually ease up as the years went on. God knows he hoped it was true, because he couldn't give up on sleep like this for the rest of his life. The only thing he had to look forward to at this point was Thanksgiving holiday, when he would have a week off.

Rubbing his eyes, he glanced around the room, surveying who had done their homework and who seemed likely to dedicate the period to sleep. His eyes landed on a new student, and he frowned. Though her head was bent, she seemed awfully familiar. Taking a look at the class roster, he looked to see if a new name had been added.

Sure enough, there it was. He could barely believe his eyes as he read the name. _Aria Montgomery._ Looking up, he caught her eye and she smiled hesitantly. He remained unsmiling.

"You're Aria Montgomery?" He asked, watching as a confused look swept her face. He tilted his head. "Well, are you?"

"Yes." She answered, finally registering the unfriendly look he wore.

"School started a month ago, where've you been?"

"I was in Iceland." She answered shortly.

"And? What brought you here?" A few students turned at his rude voice. It was unlike his character, and startled them.

Aria paused as her heart sank slightly. He was acting like he didn't know her. But it was completely deserved, and she wouldn't let herself play the victim.

"I guess the fact that I live here?" She forced a laugh out. "I was out on a year long trip to Iceland, and it was time to come home."

Ezra took in her assured confidence. This was a new Aria. She even looked different...older.

He knew he should stop picking on her, but he just couldn't. There was a lot of pent up anger that he needed to express; it wasn't the time nor place but he could not seem to hold back.

"What makes Rosewood home? Family? Friends?" He stretched out the last word, yet she managed to keep from flinching.

She took a pause to stare at him. He stared back, his blue eyes piercing into her hazel ores.

"Yes." She answered firmly. "No family, but I had some amazing friends."

His eyes hardened.

"Who I don't deserve," she continued quickly, "but hope that there is some way they can find it in their hearts to forgive me."

By that time, the classroom chatter had died down, and everyone was listening to the weird conversation between their English teacher and the new girl. Someone coughed at the awkward silence that ensued, and Ezra immediately turned to him.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Spurling. Do you have something to contribute to the conversation? Aside from phlegm?"

The class snickered as Ezra came to his senses and realized that he'd let his anger get the best of him.

"Sorry class, got carried away for a second." He gave them a tame smile. "Ms. Montgomery, please grab a copy of Hamlet from me at the end of class. For now, you may share with Mr. Spurling. He is a pretty decent guy when not being overtaken by phlegm." He couldn't help but add with a half smile.

Aria smiled at the boy as he came to sit beside her, trying not to think about the dreaded one-on-one time with Ezra at the end of the class.

It turned out that Mr. Spurling was also quite funny, and she caught Ezra watching her when she laughed out loud. She wondered if he thought they were flirting, not wanting to give him the wrong idea. Not that it mattered to him, but she still felt obliged to ensure there was enough space in between them.

Meanwhile, Ezra repeatedly found himself drawn to the girl he hadn't seen in a year. Sitting at his desk, he watched her secretly as the class worked on a passage identification assignment he'd handed out. He let himself really study her, and what he saw surprised him. She was no longer the little girl he remembered, it would be a complete falsity to address her as such. Confidence and poise replaced insecurity. He noticed the way she crossed one leg on top of the other, the way she sipped coffee every once in awhile, and the lip bites...those were incredibly distracting.

At one point, she looked up and caught his eye, smiling carefully. He quickly looked away, embarrassed at having been caught staring.

Needless to say, trying not to look at her for the duration of class was incredibly difficult. The bell rang, and he was relieved, only to remember that he'd asked her to see him after class. Unlike the rest of her classmates, Aria took her time to put her things away. She almost seemed to be stalling.

Finally, she met him at his desk.

"Hey," she said, licking her lips nervously as he straightened some papers.

"Hi." He replied flatly, walking over to the bookshelf to pick out a copy of Hamlet for her. By now, the majority of the class had dispersed.

When he returned with the book, he gave it her, fingers slightly brushing over hers. Their eyes immediately connected, before Ezra looked away. Aria glanced around the class, noting that they were the only ones remaining.

"Ezra," she leaned in, whispering. "Please don't me shut me out." Her voice broke slightly.

"Too late for that, you took care of it so I wouldn't be able to even if I wanted."

Aria collected herself, trying to keep composure. Ezra had never talked to her this way before, he'd always treated her incredibly kindly, like you would a child. Never like this...as if she had hurt him deeply, as if she meant something.

"Ezra, I know I hurt you. It was unfair and I am so sorry." She shook her head, trying to convey how sorry she was.

"I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally...I just, I didn't know you cared that much," she explained honestly, trying to meet his eyes.

Ezra slapped his hand on the desk, angry at what she'd just said. Of course he cared. Yet even he was surprised at the emotion, not having anticipated the depth of caring.

"Are you kidding me, Aria?" He leaned forward until he was breathing in her face, "That's bullshit."

Aria stared at his mouth, slightly transfixed.

"Forgive me," she whispered.

"No."

Aria leaned in, her heart beating faster.

"Forgive me," she pleaded, her lips barely an inch away from his.

Ezra reached up with his hand to touch it, almost in a trance.

And suddenly, a knock resounded on the door, and he quickly took a step back. Aria watched as he seemed to wake up and realize how weird their situation had just become. Ezra ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath.

"I don't know what that was about," he laughed nervously. "I'd better get the door."

"Am I forgiven?" Aria asked.

He paused midstep.

"Not yet."

Aria's shoulders slumped, and the knocking commenced once again.

Ezra turned around and sighed briefly. "I think we'd better talk about this somewhere a little more private. Are you free tonight to come over for dinner?"

Aria felt her breath hitch. "Yes. When do you want me there?"

He tipped his head, thinking. "How about 8?"

She smiled. "It's a date." Aria mentally slapped her head at the misstep, but there was no time to backtrack now.

Ezra nodded, apparently not thinking too much into her date comment. "I'm glad you're back," he told her seriously.

"Thank you. And thanks for inviting me, it'll be like old times."

Ezra gave her a small smile, before turning his back to open the door. The looks they sported behind each other's backs said that it would be nothing like old times. Something had changed between them, and it was the elephant in the room.


	4. Still October 2012

**Hello loves! You guys made me so incredibly happy with all of your reviews for the last chapter. I'm sorry it took awhile to put this one up, I've just been stupid busy. Hope you enjoy the chapter, and if I get enough reviews, the next one will be up sooner than later ;) xo**

Aria stood in front of apartment 3B, deliberating on whether or not she should knock. To be perfectly honest, she wasn't so sure of the whole "dinner with Ezra" thing anymore. They'd talked over the phone a couple hours ago, and by the end of the conversation, he'd mostly forgiven her. Yet, there were still lingering questions in the air. For one thing, he was her teacher now and this made their relationship a little complicated. For another, it was obvious they were different people now, or at least she was. What if they didn't get along as easily as they had prior to her leaving Rosewood? Aria was afraid of tarnishing the image she had of them, or more specifically, of Ezra. Being away from him for as long as she had left her with only the memories they'd shared, memories that she soon couldn't remember wholly, and so had molded them to the best of her ability. Admittedly, something at the back of her mind told her that the memories in her head weren't exactly realistic anymore, that she'd heightened the image of Ezra to a great man that she was afraid he wasn't in actuality.

Perhaps in the past, Aria would have run away. But her tortured thoughts weren't enough to bring her to do it this time. This time, she would force herself to get over the image of Ezra in her mind, and see him through fresh eyes. Closing her eyes in an effort to be symbolic, she knocked firmly on the door. Her heart raced in the few seconds of anticipation, and then he opened it, and she opened her eyes. She looked him over, starting at the bottom and making her way up to his eyes, and then to the curly locks that framed his chiseled face, before returning to his eyes.

"Hi." She finally said, smiling assuredly.

Ezra, who during this time resembled a bit of a nervous wreck, relaxed at the sight of her smile.

"Hello, Aria." He replied.

She loved hearing him say her name, and he could see it in her eyes. Stepping away from the door, he asked her inside.

After taking her coat, Ezra watched as she surveyed the room, waiting for her approval.

"This is...different." She commented.

"Different. Good or bad different?" He asked, shoving his hands in his jeans.

She tilted her head for a minute, before glancing at him sideways. He gave her an exasperated look, and she smiled cheekily.

"Well?"

"Where's The Bookshelf?" She asked, deliberately avoiding his question. Instead, she made her way to an old typewriter, punching at the keys in amusement.

"It's...in the past. Please tread gently on my typewriter, I'd like to keep it in working condition, if possible."

Aria turned around in surprise, laughing. "You mean to tell me you use this ancient thing? It's not just a paperweight?"

Ezra feigned hurt. "Yes, I'm old, okay? Laptops give me a headache."

Aria grinned. "No worries, I'm not an ageist."

Ezra wiggled a finger at her. "Low blow, Montgomery."

She laughed, as he made his way to the kitchen.

"So about The Bookshelf-"

"I'd rather not talk about it." Ezra interrupted.

Aria nodded her head slowly. Maybe his girlfriend won it in a custody battle or something, she thought. Speaking of girlfriend, Aria wondered if she was still around.

"So, will the girlfriend be joining us tonight? You know, like old times?" She forced a smile outwardly, and cringed inside at the recollection.

Ezra paused in the middle of taking food out of the fridge. "No, we broke up."

Aria nodded once again, only to realize he had his back turned. "Sorry to hear that."

Ezra nodded, and turned around with boxes of Chinese food in his hands.

"I hope you don't mind, I ordered out." He told her sheepishly. "Unfortunately, my cooking has not evolved over the past year, and I know you're not a fan of mac and cheese anymore."

Aria shook her head in amusement. "You made the right decision, Ezra."

It was the first time she had referred to him as Ezra, but he pretended not to notice. They hadn't talked about what their relationship would be like now that he was her teacher, and neither really wanted to.

"I bought something for dessert." Aria added, walking over to her bag to get out a dish wrapped in tinfoil. She brought it over to the kitchen counter and revealed the contents in front of Ezra: red velvet cake.

Aria watched as Ezra's eyes lit up like a child's, she thought it was adorable.

"You should see your face right now, it's so cute."

She didn't know where the comment came from, but immediately regretted it. _Fool, _she thought to herself. Ezra froze for a second before recovering, and acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had been said, like his student hadn't just called him cute.

"Yeah, well I love red velvet. It's actually my favourite," he informed her.

Aria smiled happily. "I remembered, that's why I made it."

"You _made_ this?" He asked incredulously.

She nodded, trying to look modest. "Yes, I did. I actually turned into quite the domestic back in Iceland."

He chuckled, looking at her. "That's...good to know."

Aria felt her cheeks redden and let her hair fall to hide them.

Ezra noticed, feeling pretty embarrassed himself. _That's good to know? _He asked himself. _What the hell is wrong with you?_

"Anyway, why don't I warm up the food while you set the table?" Aria asked, moving towards the oven.

Ezra was surprised at her commanding demeanor, so different than the little Aria who sat reading a book while he fixed them dinner. Here she was, ordering him around in his own home. If he didn't say anything, it wasn't to appease her, but because deep down, he liked it.

Without a word, he got started on the table while she got the food ready, pausing at times to ask him where the knives were or did he want his dumplings a little crispy? Finally, they sat the table together, ready to eat when Ezra suddenly got up and told her to wait a second. He returned with a candle and a match, and Aria smiled at the gesture, ignoring the little funny feeling she had about how much this was like a date.

They enjoyed their Chinese food, while catching up on the lost year between them. The conversation flowed easily, and Aria found herself laughing more times than she could count. The talk never veered into dangerous territory, like school and what the hell were they doing having dinner together, nor about the change they felt in each other. By the time dessert came along, Aria was stuffed and told Ezra that the cake was his.

"Are you kidding me? I'm not taking a bite until you do. It could be infested with poison for all I know."

Aria swatted him on the arm. It was nothing out of the ordinary now, because for the past two hours, they'd exchanged little pats here and there.

"Please, Ezra. I can't eat another bite." She touched her stomach. "How about I cut up a slice for you and watch you eat it? I prefer vicarious living anyway."

"Come on, Aria." He said, as she reached over and placed a sizeable piece on his plate.

"Enjoy." She replied.

Ezra gave her a look. "Alright, fine. Your decision. A bad one, but whatever."

Aria laughed. "Ezra, shut up and eat."

He smiled and took a sniff, much to her chagrin. _The cheek_, she thought.

After taking a bite, he held up a thumb, nodding his head fervently.

"Amazing." He said in between bites.

Aria smiled proudly.

Then, he suddenly frowned, pointing at her mouth. "Aria, you've got something sticking out of your mouth."

"What?" She asked, mortified. She placed a hand on her lips, and found nothing.

"I think it was a bug. It went inside your mouth," he told her.

Her eyes round, Aria opened her mouth and moved closer to him.

"Please get it out, Ezra," she said in a panic.

"Come closer." He ordered.

She moved in, until she was inches away.

All of a sudden, he stuffed a forkful of cake in her mouth.

Aria sputtered and swallowed the cake, while he doubled over in laughter.

"Maybe it was a red velvet bug." He suggested, smiling mischievously. "Those things are deadly."

Aria rose from her chair. "Okay, I'm leaving."

Ezra stuck out a hand, and held onto her arm. "No, please don't go," he pleaded. "I'll be good, promise."

Aria feigned a sigh and loosened her arm out of his grasp, pretending that his touch didn't affect her. She walked towards the front door, only to turn halfway and flop down on his couch.

"Fine," she said, patting the seat next to her. "But we watch a movie. And I get to choose."

Ezra raised his arms in surrender, leaving his beloved red velvet to sit on the couch. He made sure there was some distance, because despite the silent agreement not to talk about the other world they occupied, where they were teacher and student, he had the knowledge in the back of his mind. Despite the fact that they'd most certainly overstepped the limits of their academic relationship, sitting side by side on a couch seemed to take it too far; it was too comfortable.

Aria took note of his decision, and was disappointed, though she didn't make comment of it. She had decided even before getting here that she would let him be himself, and let the night take its course. It was stupid to expect anything from him, and she wouldn't let herself fall into that trap.

So there they sat, watching It Happened One Night on opposite ends of the couch. At one point, Aria lifted her legs up to find a more comfortable position, accidentally brushing Ezra's thigh in the process. He excused himself to get a glass of water, and when he returned, her legs were back on the floor.

When the movie was over, Aria told him that it was getting late and she had to get home. He asked her to stay awhile longer, but she replied that she couldn't.

"I have school tomorrow, and I don't think my first period English teacher would appreciate tardiness." She grinned.

"He might...he might appreciate it." Ezra tried to convince her, smiling cheekily.

"I don't think so," Aria said, shaking her head, as she put on her coat. "He's a bit pompous."

She laughed as he narrowed his eyes at her accusation, waving to him from the door.

"Bye Ezra. Thank you for a good night. I had fun."

He walked her out. "So did I. I like having you here."

That was an old line of his, something he used to say to Aria a lot when she was a fourteen year old booknerd going home after an evening of devouring books from his bookshelf. Aria's usual line was "I didn't say I wasn't coming back."

This time, she didn't say it. She merely smiled and waved once more, heading into the elevator and leaving without the promise of return. Ezra knew it had to be a conscious move on her part, and all he could do was wonder why.

**The **next morning, Ezra introduced a guest speaker to his first period English class. Harry Middleton was an English professor at the University, an expert on all things Shakespeare, and Ezra's former professor. They'd kept in touch after his graduation, and when his English class started the Shakespeare term, Ezra asked Professor Middleton to lead an introduction seminar which he kindly agreed to.

"Guys, I have a treat for you today. This man right here," he told them, patting the Professor's shoulder, "knows more about Shakespeare than his own mother probably did."

Professor Middleton laughed, waving a hand.

"No, really," Ezra argued. "He is pretty amazing. You guys won't be able to comprehend just how lucky we are to have him to here until you listen to what he has to say. So with that, I'll let you take it away, Professor."

"Thank you for that incredibly embellished introduction, Ezra. Guys, I'm going to need you to forget everything he just said," the class laughed, as Ezra shook his head, walking to the back of the room.

"I can't live up to that, but I do believe that one day Ezra will be able to. Or Mr. Fitz, rather. It's so strange to call you that."

Ezra caught Aria's eye as he made his way passed her seat. _I know exactly how he feels, _she seemed to convey, smirking at him. Ezra pursed his lips to hide a smile and took a seat right behind her. Aria smiled, happy that he'd chosen to sit behind her. Maybe it wasn't what he intended, but the action was almost a subtle stab at the institution that prevented them from being anything more than teacher-student. Her heart sped up a little more as she felt his eyes on her back. Thinking quickly, she wrote something on her laptop and tilted her body so he could see.

Taking the hint, Ezra read her message and quickly covered his smiling mouth with a fist. Quickly glancing around him, he realized that everyone was very into the seminar...with the exception of the student directly in front of him. He took out his phone texted a very short reply.

Aria's phone vibrated loudly, and the class turned to stare in irritation. Her cheeks turned pink as she looked at the Professor apologetically.

"I am so sorry, Professor. I thought it I had it turned off."

The Professor waved a hand and continued on. Aria quickly took the opportunity to switch off her phone, until she saw who had texted. She couldn't stop the grin that took up her face at Ezra's reply.

_Yes, _he had written.

Instead of turning it off, she put her phone on silent and erased her "_Like the view ;)" _message from the word processing document. It was a bold message, and she wasn't quite sure what had driven her to write it, maybe the fact that she could say whatever she wanted to him without having to do it face-to-face.

Her phone flashed with a new message, and she discreetly read it behind her laptop.

_Come over tonight._

Biting her lip, she thought about how to respond. What if she agreed and he soon got tired of her? Maybe spending less time would keep her interesting in his eyes.

_I can't tonight. Sort of busy, sorry._

Ezra read the message on her computer screen.

_Come on, I'll order some good food. We can watch whatever you want. _

Aria hesitated after reading his plea. Maybe she should just do it. Hell, she really wanted to. But there was half an hour left of class time, and she didn't want the conversation to end just yet.

_You're sounding awfully desperate, Fitz._

_And that's not enough for you to pity me? Have some compassion, Aria. _

She shook her head, laughing quietly. Erasing her message, she quickly typed a new one.

_Fine. But I am expecting incredible service. You, at my disposal, all evening._

Aria had been so busying focusing on her message that she hadn't seen the Professor walking through the rows as he talked. Much to her dismay, he stopped at her desk, pausing mid-lecture. It was impossible for him not to miss the message written on the document, because it was in 50pt font.

"Sounds like someone has a hot date," he whispered, smiling knowingly.

Aria felt like sinking in her seat, embarrassed to the core. There was no way to tell the professor that he'd completely misread the message, that she didn't mean it _that_ way. She just hoped Ezra hadn't heard.

Which, unfortunately for her, he had.

"Aria, that's very inappropriate." He called from the back. Was it just her that heard how phony the admonishment in his voice sounded?

"Are you texting your boyfriend on Microsoft Word? I didn't know that was possible. But please, leave that kind of talk for after class."

Aria wanted to disappear, and the laughter emanating from the Professor only made things worse. _Ezra, you're going to get it. _She thought to herself, erasing the message. As the class wore on, one word repeated itself in her head. _Boyfriend. _Why did Ezra have to say that? And why couldn't she stop wishing it was true?

**Later **that evening, Ezra called her to say they were going out to a restaurant instead of ordering in. He didn't say why or where, and Aria let her mind wander. She knew they'd have to drive out of town and that meant a lot of work for Ezra. Surely he wouldn't go out of his way to have a casual dinner just because. Maybe he felt something more. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't the only one experiencing strange feelings. Just for once, Aria wanted to believe that her emotions were reciprocated. It was only recently that she had allowed herself to admit there were feelings, and what surprised her was how long they had been pent up for. All along, she had cared for Ezra in a way that was a little more and a little different than the way she cared for her few other friends.

Approaching her wardrobe, Aria took a look around at her clothes and after some deliberation, she pulled out a beautiful red dress. It accentuated her slim figure, and fit in all the right places. Afterwards, she curled her hair and went for a red hot lipstick. Tonight, she decided, she was going all out. Tonight, she would propose something new to Ezra.

**Meanwhile, **Ezra threw on a blue shirt over his old t-shirt and grabbed his keys. He couldn't wait to see the expression on Aria's face when they arrived at the University cafe. It was where he'd seen her perform her poetry for the first time, and tonight the faculty had invited alumni for a casual party. Alanna would be there, and other friends Aria had likely not seen since her trip to Iceland.

Standing in front of Massey Hall, he realized he could no longer get in with his Massey ID card. So he texted Aria and told her to meet him outside. Of course, she took that to mean she had another fifteen minutes to get ready. Women.

Aria took a deep breath, and walked out of the building, clad in heels and the Red Dress.

"Ezra." She called.

He turned around from his waiting place on the stoop, eyes widening as he took in her appearance.

"Wow," was the only word he could manage.

Aria ran her eyes over his clothes, and her heart sank. He was dressed in jeans and a shirt. They weren't going out to a fancy dinner. He didn't feel the same way.

"I'm-I'm sorry." She told him, before turning around and hurrying back into the building.

"Aria!" Ezra called, incredibly confused. He followed her in before the door could close, and found her stabbing the elevator button repeatedly.

"Aria, what's wrong? Where are you going?"

She felt a tear roll down her cheek, and quickly wiped it away in case he tried to look at her. She was afraid to respond, in case her voice did something stupid, like crack. She could hardly believe what a fool she'd been. Wanting to believe in something that was impossible before, and even more impossible now. _Stupid, stupid girl_, she thought.

"Aria? Please tell me what's wrong. Did I do something to upset you? I'm sorry, if that's the case," he told her back.

"But come on, we're going to miss the party. Great, now I've ruined the surprise."

Aria didn't respond, hitting the button frustratingly.

"Well, I might as well tell you. The Cafe's holding an alumni party tonight. Alanna's going to be there, and other people that lived on our floor. It'll be a good time, I promise."

Aria felt her heart sink even further. He was taking her to a freaking cafe with friends. The farthest thing from a date that you could get. Humiliation swept over her, and finally the elevator arrived.

She stepped in, but Ezra put a hand out and stopped the door from closing.

"Wait, are you seriously not coming? Please Aria, just tell me what's up. This is too reminiscent of my ex."

Aria spun around, furious. _How dare he._

"I am nothing like her." She told him, her voice laced with anger. "Maybe, maybe if I was, you'd look twice at me."

Ezra stayed quiet, staring at her.

"Look at me, Ezra." She continued, pointing at her dress. "I dressed up tonight. For you. I took the chance of looking like a fool, because I thought…" she paused as her voice shook. "I thought you maybe had feelings."

"Aria-"

"No, let me finish. I feel like a fool, and maybe that's my fault. But I know I wasn't imagining things. There is a part of you that feels something." She searched his eyes. "Because otherwise you wouldn't invite me to dinner, you wouldn't send me flirty texts, you wouldn't have stared at me the way you did that first day in the classroom."

She waited, giving him a chance to respond. He seemed at a loss for words, shaking his head slowly.

"Aria, I'm so sorry if-"

The tears streamed down her face as she held up her hand for him to stop.

"You're a coward, Ezra."

With that, she pushed him away and closed the elevator door. Ezra stood there in shock as the doors chimed, and she was gone. After a while, he left the building. Hands in his pockets, and shoulders defeated, he made his way to the party. He thought that it would help take his mind off things. More than that, he thought that if he gave her time, Aria would come around. And when she did, she knew where to find him.

But she never did, and Ezra went to bed that night, drunk and with a girl beside him.


	5. Still October 2012: The Next Day

**Babes, it's me again! Back at you with another chapter :). Hope you guys enjoy it. One thing: Ezria is endgame.**

**P.S. S. , you guessed it girl, I did name the story after the song ;). **

Sunlight streamed in through the white curtain in Ezra's bedroom, blinding his red eyes. He groaned, rubbing his throbbing forehead. Last night had been a blur, and though he couldn't remember much, he regretted all of it. Ezra wasn't one to get drunk, and the hangover he was experiencing right now made him wish he had never gone to the party last night.

"The hell is wrong with you." He asked himself aloud, staring at the ceiling.

"Shut up." A voice mumbled beside him.

Ezra's eyes grew wide as he slowly turned his head to see a female figure-fully clothed, thank God- lying on the other side of his bed. _His_ bed.

"What the hell!" He cried, jumping out of bed.

The girl let out an exasperated sigh before lifting her head briefly.

"Ezra, I'm trying to sleep here. Please shut up." Her head fell back on the pillow.

"Alanna? What the hell are you doing here?" He put a hand over his mouth, "Oh God, we didn't….No!"

"Ezra, stop pacing. No, we didn't. Ew. You're like practically one of my girlfriends."

Ezra breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, remind me why you're here exactly? Did your boyfriend break up with you again?"

Alanna averted her eyes.

"Oh Alanna," he said, sitting on the bed. "You have to get over that jerk. He's a loser."

She got up and sat looking defeated. "I know. _I_ broke up with him this time, it's over for good."

It didn't sound that way to Ezra but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he reached over and gave her a friendly hug.

"Anyway, I'm not here because of that. I mean, I know I have a tendency to crash at your place or Cara's when times are rough but this time is different." She patted his shoulder. "You had a rough night. I've never seen you like that, and I couldn't just let you go home alone. So I crashed here to make sure you were okay. Promise."

Ezra looked at her and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"How about we go to Ihop for breakfast?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I'm nursing a hangover, Alanna. I really don't want to go outside today."

"Fine," she said hopping out of bed. "Let's have poptarts. And then I'll leave you to it. I have something I need to do anyway."

"What's that?"

"I'm going to his apartment and trashing it. Did you see him with that girl last night?"

_Oh Alanna, _Ezra groaned inwardly. "I thought you broke up with him. Maybe it's best to stay away for awhile."

"I will," she assured him. "Just after I trash that dinky apartment."

She got up and walked to the washroom, leaving Ezra to shake his head. He went to the kitchen and got them OJ and poptarts for breakfast. His head was still hurting, but not enough for him to lay in bed and let Alanna loose in his kitchen. A knock on the door resounded as he placed the food on the coffee table. Ezra walked over and answered it, thoroughly surprised to see Aria standing outside.

"Hi Ezra." She said, taking in his disheveled appearance. She was looking slightly rough herself, not having bothered with foundation for the bags under her eyes.

"Aria," he replied, unsure of how to say how happy he was to see her. He stepped aside to let her in, and Alanna chose that moment to step out of the washroom, clad in a bathrobe.

"It's cold in here, Ezra. Hope you don't mind that I stole-" She stopped mid-sentence, seeing Aria in the hall.

Ezra turned to look at Aria, and the look on her face made the blood rush out of his. Her eyes read betrayal and her lips quivered. Ezra realized what it looked like and quickly started to explain.

"Aria, you have this all wrong. Please-"

"Go to hell." She seethed, turning on her heel and racing toward the stairs.

This time, Ezra ran after her. But she was a woman on a mission, and by the time he caught up to her, she was already jumping in her car.

"Aria, please hear me out." He begged, leaning into her window as she turned on the ignition.

"We're not together, she was just-"

"Get off my window." She interrupted coldly, as the glass slid up and shut Ezra off. He wanted to bang on the window, make her listen but he could do nothing but watch as she moved the car into reverse and drove off.

Dejected, he went back to the apartment. He had to think of something, some way to get her to listen. His thoughts were interrupted by Alanna, who stood waiting inside with a poptart in hand.

"What the hell was that?" She demanded as soon as he entered.

"It was...I don't know." He answered honestly.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe she ran away because of me."

"I know, it's ridiculous to think we," he gestured to Alanna and himself, "could be together. I have to fix this."

She stared at him weirdly. "What do you mean? I thought she ran away from fear of my wrath. Which she deserves after completely forgetting about me for a year."

He realized he was stuck; how could he describe their precarious situation?

"I...I don't know. You're probably right. I don't know what I'm talking about," he laughed nervously.

Alanna didn't seem to be listening to him, preoccupied in her own thoughts. "She can come see you and keep in contact with you, but not me?" She asked. "What the hell did I ever do to her? She's like a sister to me. Or so I thought anyway."

Ezra shrugged. He was really in no mood to deal with her problems, as much as he thought that Aria had screwed her over.

"And why did she just yell at you right now? Am I missing something?"

"No," Ezra responded quickly.

Alanna raised an eyebrow, and sat on the couch, arms crossed. "Tell me what's going on, Ezra."

He knew she wouldn't leave it alone, so he sat down and rubbed his head before answering.

"She was angry that you were here," he explained.

"What? That makes no sense."

Ezra gave her a look. "Yes, it does. To most people, a girl sleeping over at your house doesn't usually equate to a friend crashing over."

"But, so what? Aria's never cared about you having girls sleep over before. It's not like y'all are-" She clamped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God. You and Aria? What the hell, Ezra!"

"No," he responded hastily, standing up. "It's not, I mean...it's not like that."

"Then what is it like, Ezra? Because that's exactly what it looked like to me!"

"I…" He ran a hand through his hair, staring around. "What am I supposed to say, Alanna? That there's something going on between me and Aria? That I have feelings for my _student_? I have feelings for my _student_." He repeated, spitting out the word.

Alanna opened her mouth and then closed it again. "So?"

Ezra looked at her like she was crazy. "So? What do you mean 'so'? Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

She stood up. "Yes, I am. And I think you're being an idiot, to be perfectly honest. So what if she's your student? I know it's a horrible twist, albeit kind of hot." She said, tilting her head.

"But if you have feelings for her, and she has feelings for you, so what? That's all that matters. You can't fight love, Ezra."

He sat back on the couch, his head in his hands.

"Listen," she said softly, sitting beside him. "Aria and I may have not talked in a year. But I know this girl better than she knows herself. She's never admitted it to me, but I know that she's always harboured feelings for you. Whatever she feels for you, it's deep-rooted; it's grown, molded, and it survived a year away. Sure, she might be young, but we both know that Aria is an old soul."

Ezra stared at her eyes, trying to decipher their honesty. Did she really mean that? Had Aria always felt this way about him?

"If you don't get your emotions in check, and grab her before she slips away, you won't get her back. And if you don't feel the same way, if you don't feel as deeply, then let her know right now."

Ezra sighed. If only his life was as carefree as Alanna's. "It's not that easy, Alanna."

He stood up, pacing.

"There are real consequences here. I could lose my job, she could get expelled. And then where would we go from there?"

"Well...maybe you're overthinking it. Maybe you need to be having this conversation with Aria, and not me."

She was right about that. He needed to find Aria.

**By **the time Ezra arrived at Aria's dorm, it was half past one. Unfortunately, traffic was not on his side and it took an hour to get there. A grueling hour.

Knocking on her door, he held his breath, ready to launch into an explanation before she could shut him out. To his surprise, she opened the door and quietly stepped aside to let him in. Ezra stood there in slight shock; this definitely wasn't the reception he was expecting.

"Coming in?" she asked him.

He nodded and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"So, I came here to explain things and apologize-"

"You don't...there's nothing to explain." Aria informed him. "I talked with Alanna, finally." She gave a small smile.

"Anyway, I know that it was a complete misunderstanding on my part and I'm sorry."

"Aria, you have no reason to apologize. Any other person would have thought the same. I'm at fault here-"

"No, Ezra," she stopped him. "What you guys were or weren't doing, that was none of my business. I let my emotions get the best of me, and that's nothing to do with you. It's not your fault."

Ezra was at a loss of words. This was not at all what he had anticipated.

"When I came over this morning," she continued. "It was to tell you all of this essentially. That my feelings should have no bearing on yours. That it was really stupid of me to expect you to feel how I felt, and to hold you to those expectations like you have no say in the matter."

She frowned at her hands. "Needless to say, that all flew out the window when I saw Alanna there. I just…" she shook her head, throwing her hands up. "I got caught up, and I'm sorry."

"Aria," he started, unsure of how to respond. Apparently Alanna hadn't told her about his feelings. For that he was grateful, but it only made it that much harder for him to tell her. How could he tell her the truth when it was a hopeless situation? It would only hurt her more.

She shushed him. "Ezra, it's okay," she said with a weak smile. "I'll get over this. Or at least, I'll try."

He remained silent, staring at the ground.

"My dad will be home in a few. I'm not sure it's a good time for a reunion right now," she tried to laugh.

"Yeah," Ezra rose. "I'll leave."

She walked him to the door, where he hesitated.

"Aria, I wish I could give you what you deserve."

And with that, he was gone, leaving her slightly taken aback.

"**My **dad is going to kill me if he finds out," Aria moaned.

Alanna climbed out of the cab after her, and linked arms as they walked.

"Shut up, no complaints from you. I know there'll be alcohol, but it's not like you'll drink anything. Besides, this is the only time in the near future that you'll get everyone there together."

"It's not even like I was best friends with anyone. No one will care that I'm back," she muttered under her breath.

Alanna stopped them. "Aria, you have this stupid issue where you refuse to see how special you are. Everyone missed you while you were away, more than you know. Whether you see it or not, these are your friends and they want you back in their lives."

Aria bit her lip.

"Look, I know it's daunting. And I know that you've always felt like you were on the outskirts, being younger than the rest of us. But you know very well that I never saw you like that, and you have to trust me when I say that no one saw you like that. And now you've come back even more mature than you were, probably more so than half of the guys in there. I promise that they will welcome you back with open arms."

Aria nodded slowly. Though she was still nervous, it was time to suck it up and make amends with her old friends, the college kids from Massey Hall who'd made her feel like one of their own.

"Will Ezra be there?" She asked hesitantly.

"Maybe." Alanna answered slowly.

Aria nodded once again. "Alright. I can do this."

Alanna smiled and together, they went into Hart House. People were milling about, and waved at Alanna as they weaved through the crowds. They reached the restaurant area, and found the group they were looking for. Everyone saw Aria, and stood up yelling her name amidst the noise. Aria smiled in spite of her nerves, and waved back furiously.

Once they got to the table, Aria was engulfed in hugs and a chorus of "Aria's!"

"Aria! Oh my God, I didn't know you were back!"

"Look at you! Girl certainly did some growing up."

"Damn, Aria. Not the same little girl I remember!"

Aria laughed at all their comments, and sat down beside Alanna. She smiled, looking around at the happy faces around here, with the exception of one sullen face. There Ezra sat, nursing a drink.

"Hello, Ezra." She said, forcing him to look up and acknowledge her.

"Hey." He answered simply with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Maybe she should have been angry at his response, but there was a certain sad look in his eyes that triggered sympathy instead. She wasn't sure why she felt sympathetic exactly, but there it was. She couldn't help love him even when he barely said two words to her.

"Let's all toast to Aria's return!" Someone called out, and the group cheered raising their glasses.

Everyone took a sip and set their glasses down, laughing and talking amongst themselves. Marielle, who'd dressed Aria up for many a special occassions, including homecoming, and was now working as a TA, engaged Aria in conversation. Meanwhile, Ezra downed his glass and ordered another. Sophie, who appeared prematurely drunk, wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Aria noticed that his eyes immediately flitted towards her as this happened. He gently unwrapped her arms and distanced himself from Sophie, never taking his eyes off Aria. For her part, the girl had moved on to the guy on her other side. Aria wondered if Ezra thought she was jealous, and that's why he'd immediately looked to her. But as the staring continued, she became confused.

Excusing herself from the conversation with Marielle, she got up and announced that she was heading to the dance floor. Maybe a little dancing would help clear her mind, she thought. John, another ex-floormate, got up and told everyone he would be joining the pretty little lady. Aria smiled as he offered his hand dramatically. A year ago, this kind of treatment from her male college friends was non-existent, and it felt good to be seen like an actual girl.

Aria and John danced to a fun number, and then a slow song came on. Halfway through the song, his hands began venturing south. He didn't get very far, because before she knew what was happening, someone grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him to the floor.

"What the hell, man!" John asked from the floor, staring up at an enraged Ezra.

"Touch her again, and I'll make sure you lose any chance of having children," he spat.

By now, the whole House had stopped to stare. Aria was shaking as Ezra put his arm around her protectively.

"Come on, let's go," he said softly.

She didn't argue as they made their way out of the building without saying goodbye to anyone. That was alright, Alanna would cover. But what plagued Aria right now was Ezra, or more precisely, his anger. What John had done was not something she hadn't dealt with before, nothing completely out of the ordinary, as deplorable as it might have been everything considering. John wouldn't have tried anything further, not with so many people around anyway. So what was Ezra really angry at? And had he been watching them dancing? If so, why? These were questions that she couldn't find the courage to ask him just yet.

Ezra ushered her to his car, but she could see that he was highly intoxicated.

"Let's take a cab." She managed to say, and he nodded in surprise, as if it hadn't occurred to him that he couldn't drive until now.

Even in the cab, he didn't let go of her. They were quiet though, letting the chatty taxi driver do most of the talking. By the time they'd reached his apartment, Aria had gained enough of her bearings to take control of the situation. Good thing because Ezra was looking worse for the wear. Paying the taxi driver, she took hold of him and helped his sluggish body make way to apartment 3B.

"Do you have the keys?" She asked him.

He nodded, getting his keys out and handing them to her.

"Thank you," she said, opening the door and ushering them inside.

She took him to the couch, where he immediately flopped down. Sitting down tentatively, she left some space between them. Ezra threw his face in his hands.

"Aria," he slurred slightly.

"Yes, Ezra?"

"I lied. I do have feelings for you. I do."

He sounded defeated, and Aria moved closer to put her hand on his. Her heart was racing but she couldn't let that affect anything.

"Ezra," she said softly. "People say things they regret when they're drunk. Maybe you shouldn't go any further."

"No, Aria. Please let me get this out while I can."

"Okay."

"Seeing that douchebag put his hands all over you enraged me, it really did. And I realized that I couldn't live like this, without telling you the truth."

He turned around and grasped her hands. "Aria, I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the line, I developed strong feelings for you. And I tried so hard, but I can't fight it."

Aria stared into his eyes, disbelieving the words coming out of his mouth. How long had she waited to hear this? Yet, something nagged at the back of her mind.

"I know this isn't the ideal situation, but I want to go ahead with it. I don't know how we'll face the consequences, but we will, together."

"But Ezra, you could lose your job," She reminded him.

His face fell at this, but he responded with a completely different toned quote. "Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."

As much as Aria wanted to believe those words, she saw the state he was in. Ezra was wild about the eyes, and barely conscious. Besides that was the small voice in the back of her mind that forced her to reconcile with the fact that he was in this state because of her. Ezra, who she had known for long enough to ascertain that he wasn't fond of alcohol, was drunk for the second time in two days. He was turning into an alcoholic right before her eyes, and it was all because of this stupid situation. Maybe she could tell herself that it would get better now that he'd accepted his feelings, but she knew that was a lie. If Ezra entered a relationship with her, his future would be at stake, her future would be at stake; his reasons for stress and anxiety would only multiply. And if the simple act of coming to term with his feelings required alcohol, how much more would he require to handle a relationship with his student? How could Aria live with herself knowing she was the reason for his succumbing to alcoholism?

Her thoughts were troubling, but she didn't divulge them to Ezra. It was more than he could take right now, especially when it seemed as if he was about to pass out.

Instead, she smiled sadly. "I think you need to lie down now, don't you?"

He nodded in the affirmative as she got up and maneuvered his body so he was lying down on the couch. Tracing his face, she placed a kiss on his cheek and made a move to leave. Ezra lifted his arm and captured her hand, preventing her from doing so.

"Don't go." He whispered in a sleepy daze, before losing consciousness and dropping his hand.

Aria gently placed his arm back on the couch.

"I'm right here, Ezra. I'll be right here."

**When **Ezra woke up the next morning, Aria was nowhere to be found.


End file.
